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President Basescu at the European Commission, 22 April 2010

Saturday, 16 January 2010

The Dutch Airlifting Haiti's children

Instead of airlifting the 56 Haitian children out of the country, it would be advisable to find back their parents and to help them reunite if that's what they want. That would be a true humanitarian act - and a great blessing in these tragic days.

Because, in many cases the children have parents who with a little bit of help will be able to care for their children themselves. And not always they understand that their children are handed over forever.

(Syfia / Haiti). Haiti is one of the main "suppliers" of adoptable children. A quasi-commercial sector has settled, based on the law of the market rather than on a logic of child welfare. Many adopted children still have their parents ...

On the tarmac of the overheated Toussaint Louverture Airport in Port-au-Prince, not a day goes by without a child in Haiti embarks an international flight, accompanied by his adoptive parents or representative of an adoption agency. Many go to Europe: Haiti has indeed become a major "supplier" of adoptable children: the first for France, one of the main for Belgium and Switzerland. More than 400 young Haitians are adopted each year in France and fifty in Belgium. In this country, their number is declining, "Especially after a campaign denouncing the bad adoption practices in Haiti, "said Gerrit De Sloover, vice-Honorary Consul of Belgium in Haiti, a consultant on issues international adoption.

From 300 to 400 in the 1990s, the number of international adoption files of Haitian children filed per year in Port-au-Prince, Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) is now between 1 000 and 1 500. Exactly 1 367 for the period October 2007 to October 2008. This increase results from the fact that Haiti is one of the rare countries not to have ratified the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in international adoption, which sets a clear ethical framework and establishes the principle that a child is adoptable when no family can host it in the country.

Business

Often driven by a genuine desire for a child on the side of parents, international adoption appears in the field to be a real business. In 2005, the procedure could cost the adoptive between 5 000 and 6 500 $ U.S. on average, according to UNICEF, including attorneys' fees incurred by nurseries and those proceedings. Today, we approach the $ 10,000 U.S.. The offer has always existed on the Haitian side, shows Sloover De Geer, but demand has increased recently. Children's homes have therefore multiplied in the country. In 2008, 66 nurseries were accredited by the IBESR (against 47 in 2005), mostly in Port-au-Prince. But their control by the institute is problematic, given the lack of resources of the institution and lack of will on their part. According to the Deputy Director of IBESR himself, Mr. Casseus, nurseries would be much more numerous than those accredited by the Institute, "almost two hundred, 'he says, without seeming very certain. According to UNICEF, "international adoption through private organizations who have not received permission is unfortunately possible. "I know of cases where not recognized nurseries subcontract to accredited creches, "said Gerrit De Sloover. Because "sometimes, some have not enough children 'in stock' explains X. V., Director for ten years of a nursery in Port-au-Prince. They will therefore look elsewhere "to meet the desires of adoptive parents. "I received many emails from parents, always the same: ''We have the authority to adopt, we seek a child, a daughter,'' 'she says.

Purely formal control

The little ones who have "defects" are not very popular: older or sick children have little chance of being adopted and some nurseries who focus solely on international adoption do not accept them. Moreover, the majority of children adopted from Haiti have always an alive parent, either both, either one of them, an aunt, a grand mother ... from which they are literally "bought" to be entrusted to adopters. "It seems that some nurseries give money to the family, "says Mr. Casseus. The most common is that people related to the nursery actively seek poor mothers and their offer to their young children for adoption. "Once the papers signed, they will explain them what adoption is. It is not illegal, but illegitimate and abusive, "said Gerrit De Sloover, although he considers that these cases are less numerous than in India. Sometimes the initiative comes from parents. There was much talk of sale of children in Haiti. The case of a mother who sold both her children for his 500 gourds (10 €) made noise. "The parents, unable to care for their children, place them, "said X. V. The absence of social security, of guarantees for old age, and high Infant mortality rates are pushing parents to have many children in the hope that some will take care of them later. To the deputy director of the IBESR, many parents are aware what they do when they place their child in a nursery, and and sooth themselves with the illusion by thinking that someday they will make them travel ... The Haitian law, in fact, does not recognize itself plenary adoption that involves breaking ties of biological filiation. It thus comes into conflict with many Foreign laws. In giving their consent, many parents are not well informed, and more, a majority sign documents they can not read.

Limiting individual adoption ...

According to Haitian law currently IBESR has no obligation to check the veracity of the families' consent before an adoption decision is taken to court. Only the presence in the records of administrative and legal paperwork holds, the same goes for the consulates also involved before departure. "It's a purely administrative work at the end of the process, "said Gerrit of Sloover. "For years, the criteria were not applied. Today, the procedure is fairly slow, because they tend to be more strictly. They started asking for more papers for the adoption, which has primarily been a source of more corruption, " said X. V. From six months to a year ago, the time may now be two and a half years. "Much is left to personal interpretation of judges and officials in the management of cases, said Gerrit De Sloover. The concept of 'easy case' is fairly elastic. X. V. sighs: "The nurseries suffered so much pressure ... If you did not pay, the case dragged on for months and months, and adoptive parents accuse you of not being as fast as other nurseries. No nursery responsible obviously will tell you he pays ... " The embassies also exert pressure on the Haitian authorities, not to increase the controls, but to expedite the process. A draft law was tabled in Parliament, but it is not likely to be adopted in the short term. However, the responsibility falls also on the adopting countries. Some, like France, accept steps taken by individual prospective parents, who turn directly to a Haitian nursery. 90% of the children "exported" from Haiti to Hexagon follow this path. Elsewhere, individual adoption is limited and parents are obliged to go through approved adoption agencies, where the procedure is known longer. "But what is needed is more control on the ground, "said another manager manger. The IBESR believes that also should "the consent procedure for parents Haitians needs to be strengthened so that they are well aware of the implications of the actions they take." But, paradoxically, the salary of the Institute staff is paid, in part, with revenues from adoption records filed: 5 000 gourds (100 €) per file. Even incomplete or problematic, many are accepted ... Maude Malengrez

"We signed for 18 years"

Kettelie Wesh lives in Soleil 17, in Port-au-Prince. In 2005, violence corrodes the area. Kettelie heard of women in the neighborhood who had "placed" their child in kindergarten for international adoption. This is how she met le Blan (foreigner) she shows on a yellowing photograph with her daughter, Jenny. He is a pastor, supported by a network of Churches in the United States to manage a nursery in Hait oriented towards international adoption, but also helps some families care for their children. "If I could have, I would have put all my children.” In October 2005, she brought the youngest, Jenny, 4 years, most likely to be adopted because it is a girl, still small. "Le Blanc told us that even if the child leaves, you remain the mom. That you will always be in communication with her, even if you can not see her and at 18 years, she would come back to meet you. He added that when Blans will take your child in Haiti, they have the courtesy to come and meet you to explain what will be the child's life. That you will always be have news about the child. " In October 2007, Jenny moved to the United States. Kettelie received some photos. But since a year and a half, no news. The white Pastor left without that she knew and his former driver in turn took over the nursery. "When we come to ask about our children and we do a scene outside his door, he sends the police. I have already been arrested. " The children adopted from Haiti, for the most part, have parents still life, but who can not raise them. These sign consent to adoption, often without being aware of what it implies. "We signed for 18 years, claims Lucienne Ophelia, whose daughter left for Germany at the age of 5 years. She stayed one year in the nursery. I went to see her from time to time. I received a picture the first six months after her departure. Then, nothing: neither photo nor news. She will be 16 years. "Lucienne awaits her return in two years: "In my neighborhood, everyone says that I have sold my child." "We wanted to seek a better life for our child, but we never thought we were going to lose her, "testifies Kettelie. And when, exceptionally, photographs arrive, nurseries change envelopes before giving them to parents, "so that no one finds a trace of the child "says Emilio Rafael with a faint voice, the father of two small children adopted to France in 2001 and he is without new since 2003. Mr. M.

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Romania - For Export Only

the untold story of the Romanian ' orphans' gives an insider’s look into the adoption kitchen, where the most used ingredients are political pressure and emotional blackmail. A nexus of adoption agencies, adoptive parents and politicians are using their powers to ensure that intercountry adoptions continue. Often they are successful. However, in Romania they were not. The Romanian government, with support of the European Union, stood firm and took the decision to no longer export their children. A decision the adoption industry continues to challenge now for five years.

The reader is taken along on an eight-year-travel, from 1999 to end 2006, and will be shown the story of the Romanian ‘orphans’ from a different light, where global politics and private interests compete with the rights of the child.

copyright De Telegraaf

Victor Bostinaru, Member of the European Parliament, said:

Roelie Post dares to describe a taboo-issue at a level that can compare with the works of Noreena Hertz and the movie Constant Gardener. Unfortunately such reporting in general does not receive a lot of media attention, because of
its political sensitivity. If you read the book, you find out why. A nest of scorpions of big (business) interests interwoven with political and social
actors, and the large demand for adoptable children, creates indeed a market functioning that until now was systematically denied. As a result the discussion remained in the margins of society.

Cathy Wagner said:

Roelie Post allows the reader a unique insiders view regarding the politics of international adoption. It was an eye-opening account that not many are willing to share to the outside world.In her experience with Romania’s orphan care and international adoption program, Ms. Post begins her journey as many do (innocent) and as her knowledge about the politics behind international adoption grows-- revelations on the real truth behind the industry of international adoption becomes quite clear.Never again can I look at the “black and white” pictures of the "poor orphans" that rely on us to “save” them with the same naïve eyes. This book offers amazing parallels into other international programs-- including China. Ms. Post talks about the points system, safe-haven drops, attachment studies on orphans, media attention and the pressure from outside countries and NGO’s to gain access to Romania’s children... all of which are familiar themes in many IA programs.While it was heart-warming to know that there are many people who work very hard to preserve children’s rights, it is equally scary to understand the underlying situation that most will never get to see.This is a must-read book for anyone entering into the world of international adoption.Cathy Wagner, 11 December 2008

A reader from the UK said:

Just finished reading your book.What a story.Clearly there is a huge interest in getting children.In your book someone said that if no more adoptions they'll have to start cloning; and what about the posters with 'children give us power'...So, an excellent book on evidence for what is, in part, going on.Good luck with de Combret.18 September 2008

VIVID - Romania

Not only did the Romanian government come under tremendous pressure from politicians in the US politicians and in some EU member states (namely, Italy and France) but Roelie Post was continually harassed in her job at the Commission. Her book is a blow by blow account of the main lobbyists in Brussels, with scandalous walk on parts from the likes of Silvio Berlusconi and Romano Prodi. For anyone interested in the intriguing international adoption story this book is essential reading.19 November 2007Read the full articlePosted by Roelie at 19:190 comments

AntiAdopt said...

This book unravels not only the mechanism behind adoption, but also how the interests of rich parties dominate politics. The Dutch version of the book might be easier to read than the English one. Much recommended.Applause for Ms. Post and her colleagues who stood up for what is morally right, against aggressive and powerful parties. If we could have counted on the fact that your kind is the only one, we might have voted YES [for the European Convention]. 13 August 2007http://antiadoptie.blogspot.com

Niels says...

Romania - For Export Only is a captivating book. I read it cover to cover over the week-end. It is a very well documented account in diary style of the wheelings and dealings over the access to Romanian orphans. At times it can be a tough read, because she gives many details of the Romanian case. Fortunately the book is much more than cold facts and figures. Roelie Post keeps closely focused on the child's best interest, both in her work and in the story she has to tells us.13 August 2007http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/4544#comment-1483

Marian van Teeffelen, Coördinator Roemenië Kinderpostzegels, says

When will the interest of the child be finally at the centre? The book of Roelie Post makes clear how easy this principle of the Convention on the Right of the Child is put aside. And replaced by the wishes of a few doubtful Western organisations. With this the de-institutionalisation process in Romania was frustrated and a more humane local approach of the issue hampered. Already beginning ‘90s many Romanians were ready to take children out of the orphanages, where they often lived in diar circumstances, to take them into their family. But it took years before they got this chance. And the story goes on, in other countries.
What is the EU about? About the Rights of the Child, or the pressure of a doubtful Western lobby? 15 June 2007

Press release FPPF

Her book reads like an exciting tale of mystery and espionage as she uncovers memos, files and emails that spell out a "point system" pitting American against Europeans as to who can pay more and thus get more children for adoption; phonied photos to make conditions look more dire than they are to increase private and public funding that seldom got to the children or the employees caring for them...as Roelie discovered on her field trips to the Romanian orphanages.

Marc RAEYMAECKERS, Consultant Child Protection Romenia 91-94, said...

Even if this book is not going to change the world, or Romania for that matter, at least you have been on the side of the good guys/girls. "Bad things happen because good people fail to act", you did.
Noroc
Monday, March 19, 2007 8:16:00 PM

Iza Niewiadomska said...

I read it over the weekend: forget Agatha Christie if you get real stories like this! I could not put it down till the very last page. Respect, Roelie and others who worked on this.
Thursday, March 15, 2007 5:25:00 PM

David Haworth, Irish Daily Mail said...

This is a shocking and forensic case history of how the lobbying nexus can work in Brussels, threats and all, as children's lives are cynically disposed of between the "In" files and the "Out". Few players emerge well from this story and some are out-and-out black hat villains. A salutary antidote to the EU's 50th anniversary celebrations. Friday, March 02, 2007 5:40:00 PM

Paul van Buitenen Member of the European Parliament said...

As a former European Commission official, I know that it is not obvious to write such a book. It is courageous and necessary to put this story on paper, as many misconceptions about the Romanian children's adoption issue float around and have even caused the European Parliament to adopt a misguided written declaration on this issue. Well done Roelie! Thursday, March 01, 2007 11:17:00 AM

Rupert Wolfe-Murray said...

Bravo Roelie. I am delighted that someone has finally told this story. I also know that she was the driving force behind Romani's reform of its child welfare system. Rupert Wolfe Murray, Thursday, March 01, 2007 10:30:00 AM

Brian Douglas (British Humanitarian) said...

I am delighted to see that the Author has taken the time to put this book together. It is for certain a story that needs telling, so the world can read this untold, true story of Romania's orphans and I recommend the public to purchase a copy, so that they will understand the truth of the interferences that tried to protect their interests rather than that of the children. Well done Roelie! Sunday, February 25, 2007 4:20:00 PM